Squat

Squat

Squatting is a term for inhabiting an abandoned or unused building or plot of land without owning or holding a formal lease on it; a person squatting is known as a squatter, and the house or building occupied by squatters is known as a squat.

Squatting (pastoral) is a term from Australian history, referring to the action of a person (the squatter) who occupied a large tract of Crown land in order to graze livestock.